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The latest leg of the $47.2 million Montrose Parkway project is getting mixed reviews from drivers, some of whom are getting mixed up on the new traffic pattern that opened Friday night.

Andrew Ship of North Bethesda said his first foray onto the new segment between East Jefferson and Randolph Road was marked by poor signage—just one reason he wasn't pleased with the maiden voyage.

"A, I think it's not well marked. I know it's temporary right now but there's very poor signage," Ship said. "B, I think kind of there's an oxymoron there because apparently it's a parkway and there aren't supposed to be trucks, but there's trucks on it all the time. I can't believe that we spent all this money and they don't enforce anything and there's very poor signage."

The new leg is part of the final phase of the project, and under the new pattern drivers heading eastbound on Montrose Road have to turn right on Old Georgetown Road and then take an immediate left onto the new eastbound Montrose Parkway to get to Randolph Road. The route will remain indirect until Randolph Road is realigned, possibly as early as next fall.

"I pity somebody that doesn't know the area," Ship said.

But Laura Muncy of Gaithersburg found the new leg to be a pleasant surprise on her way to G Street Fabrics on Saturday.

"It went quite well actually," Muncy said. "It was very effective to not have to worry about the lights when you go to the Pike."

The new traffic pattern is part of the final phase of the State Highway Administration's project that built Montrose Parkway and is now relocating the existing Randolph Road slightly south to align with the parkway and the construction of the new interchange along Rockville Pike at Montrose Parkway. Upon completion, Rockville Pike will have six lanes and the new relocated Montrose and Randolph Roads will carry two lanes in each direction. According to the State Highway Administration, "the construction is necessary to improve safety and traffic flow at the busy Rockville intersection."